One of the finest stories of the classic Doctor Who age, Genesis Of The Daleks finds Tom Baker at his peak in the lead role, and ultimately facing one of the most significant moral dilemmas of his era as the Time Lord. That’s alongside the small matter of his most infamous enemies.
This is the adventure that goes right back to the roots of the Daleks, from their humble beginnings to the point where they become the Doctor’s most fearsome foes. Across the six episodes, we find that the Doctor has been sent to the planet Skaro, where he discovers the evil genius Davros, who is about to fully unleash his deadliest creations into the universe. Accompanied by Harry and Sarry, The Doctor also finds himself stuck in the middle of an ongoing war between the Thals and The Kaleds, in a story packed with danger and adventure.
It’s also grounded in the kind of excellent storytelling that has frequently allowed classic Doctor Who to overcome its low budget roots. And Genesis Of The Daleks is one of the finest examples of just how it manages it. Thanks to a tightly woven script, and a strong cast led by Tom Baker at his finest in the lead role, Genesis Of The Daleks is rightly regarded as one of the best Doctor Who stories of all time. It really isn’t hard to see why.–Simon Brew
those brilliant, unsentimental days… Sure, we’re all agreed that ‘Genesis’ is a high water mark for the series, but I think what distinguishes it is its profound atmosphere of unease, which in turn is established by the unsparing, unsentimental and convincing presentation of cruelty. Both impart a grim urgency that is absolutely lacking in contemporary television. Davros is frightening, as he should be. The guard who torments Sarah by dangling her off the edge of the rocket is actually hateful, as he should be. And Nyder’s inhuman coldness is perfectly believable. These impressions are NOT soley the result of great acting (although that, too!) The antagonists, and thus the plight of our heroes, are riverting because they occur in a convincing – not kitsch – atmosphere of urgency and dread.I think it is this atmosphere, behind the fantastic story and despite the shoddy production values, that makes ‘Genesis’ so unusually powerful.
Much better… I vaguely remember seeing this when it was first shown (I would have been 4 or 5 – middle age has now firmly grabbed me and won’t let go). On its repeat in the 1980’s I watched it again and remember being slightly disappointed at the apparent lack of Dalek action… ah the fickleness of youth. This is a great story, well worthy of the ‘classic’ status bestowed upon it and possibly Terry Nation’s finest script for the programme. Great performances from all concerned, tightly directed, and unusually for a six-parter, it doesn’t really sag too much. Special mention for Michael Wisher playing Davros – could have been such an over the top performance, but instead is reigned in and played with a subtle menace. This is not the ranting Davros of later stories (although to be fair, Terry Molloy did do a great job in ‘Revelation’), but an icy, quietly spoken (at times) figure who truly believes that what he is doing is right… great stuff.I won’t give away the plot, but recommend this for new fans converted by the new series. The extras or pretty good too, although I agree that the post – Genesis stories are sadly under-represented by ‘The Dalek Tapes’.All in all, well worth the money. Buy it, or I’ll set my Dalek on you (yes, I own a full size Dalek… middle aged crisis).